Bryan and Jonathan are back for the tenth episode of Head GAMs! The hosts kick off the show by discussing a surprising aspect of last week’s cast that generated a groundswell of support and interest amongst Head GAMs listeners. Then it’s on to the main topic, as both Bryan and Jonathan reveal and discuss what they consider to be their biggest psychological weaknesses. They hold nothing back, sharing some of their own regrettable moments as they try to inspire listeners to work on their own fault...
Oct 15, 2018•1 hr 1 min
You asked for it, so you got it! Gerry and Bryan tackle this week's mammoth decklist dump that contains 51 (!) unique decks. They'll be back to their normal metagame analysis next week, but this was too good of an opportunity to pop up. If you like Standard technology, brews, metagame discussion, and talk of what's over-performing or under-performing (and that's why you're here, right?), you don't want to miss this nearly two hour long episode. Decklist dump: https://magic.wizards.com/en/article...
Oct 12, 2018•1 hr 57 min
Bryan and Jonathan are back for the ninth episode of Head GAMs! Didn’t get enough sleep after our last episode? No worries, the hosts continue last week’s discussion, picking up with some unanswered questions. Can you really learn in your sleep? How do prescription drugs affect sleep? Jonathan then gives a helpful guide for evaluating the quality of your own sleep. Finally, the show closes with some brief tips for making sure your nutrition is optimized at your next competition. Try these tips b...
Oct 07, 2018•53 min
Guilds of Ravnica is out on Magic Online and the first results are in! Gerry and Bryan analyze the 5-0 metagame, deck by deck, all the while discussing their own experiences in Standard. If you're playing a tournament this weekend (or just want a head start in the format) you can't miss this one! Music: Mega Man 11 Fuse Man Theme Timestamps MTG Arena - 3:37 Goblins - 7:21 Golgari - 10:37 Boros - 17:36 Mono Blue - 22:13 U/W Control - 24:45 Boros Angels - 28:54 Golgari Bryan's list - 30:22 Grixis ...
Oct 05, 2018•1 hr 19 min
Wake up people! Bryan and Jonathan are back for the eighth episode of Head GAMs! The hosts are putting on their pajamas, getting comfy, and leading a talk about settling down for a good night’s sleep. Why do so many of us treat sleep as an afterthought, when it has such a dramatic effect on our performance? What happens to us physiologically when we are sleep deprived? Are there potential solutions available for those among us who are problem sleepers? Bryan talks through his own historical prob...
Sep 30, 2018•48 min
We try to not be a drama podcast, but Gerry's experience at the World Championship is something that must be talked about. Bryan had some personal questions regarding the weekend that he'd been pondering, and Gerry is happy to answer them. They also delve into the various myths surrounding the release of a new set. Is it strategically correct to play aggro or at least be proactive? How does having all purpose answers like Assassin's Trophy change the equation? Music: Braid Timestamps: Gerry prot...
Sep 28, 2018•1 hr 11 min
Bryan and Jonathan are back for the seventh episode of Head GAMs! This week, the hosts are talking through their own experiences with burnout in the professional and competitive realm. After defining exactly what the term means, the hosts give helpful tips for identifying burnout in ourselves and others. Bryan then posits a controversial opinion regarding what he sees as a common and unjustified response to competitive burnout. And finally, as always, Jonathan has some concrete steps we can take...
Sep 24, 2018•48 min
The full Guilds of Ravnica preview is up, so it means time to do call our Top 10s from the set! Gerry and Bryan agree on a lot of things, but the top of their GRN lists aren’t it. Music: Undertale Bryan's honorable mention - 3:49 Gerry's honorable mention - 8:32 Gerry's #10 - 9:31 Bryan's #10 - 13:11 Gerry's #9 - 15:14 Bryan's #9 - 19:48 Gerry's #8 - 23:00 Bryan's #8 - 24:47 Gerry's #7 - 27:25 Gerry's #6 - 31:13 Bryan's #6 - 33:27 Gerry's #5 - 36:36 Bryan's #4 - 41:31 Bryan's #3 - 42:38 Gerry's ...
Sep 21, 2018•1 hr 2 min
Bryan and Jonathan are back for the sixth episode of Head GAMs! This week, the hosts sent out questions related to past show topics to a bunch of listeners. Join Bryan and Jonathan as they explore and discuss listener responses related to past failures, issues with motivation, and so much more. If you’d like to participate in the next listener focused show, we’ve got good news for you. There are a limited number of participation slots available as a reward over on our brand-new Patreon page! Com...
Sep 17, 2018•50 min
It’s preview season and, as expected from a Ravnica set, the hits don’t stop coming! Join Gerry and Bryan as they tackle cards like the format defining Assassin’s Trophy, the difficult to evaluate Dream Eater, Vraska, Niv-Mizzet, Izoni, and everything else. Music : Celeste Timestamps: Assassin's Trophy - 3:29 Vraska, Golgari Queen - 6:49 Find Finality - 10:45 District Guide - 14:17 Izoni, Thousand-Eyed - 19:21 Molderhulk - 21:35 Nullhide Ferox - 24:28 Mausoleum Secrets - 27:41 Midnight Reaper - ...
Sep 14, 2018•1 hr 19 min
Bryan and Jonathan are back for the fifth episode of Head GAMs! The listeners have spoken again, and they asked us to spend this week’s episode discussing motivation. How does motivation relate to self-determination theory? What’s the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation? How can we tap into our core values to provide us the motivation to pursue self-improvement? All this and more on this episode of Head GAMs! Links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ National Suicide Hotline – 1-...
Sep 10, 2018•46 min
The first wave of Guilds of Ravnica previews are out, and we cover them all! From mechanics to manabases, everything is covered. Music: Donkey Kong Country 2 Timestamps: New mechanics - 0:58 The mana - 8:31 Legion Warboss - 12:33 Ral, Izzet Viceroy - 16:29 Thought Erasure - 20:42 Underrealm Lich - 26:43 Emmara, Soul of the Accord - 30:11 Boros Challenger - 33:54 Quasiduplicate - 35:12 Sinister Sabotage - 37:43 Macabre Hatchery - 38:48 Impervious Greatwurm - 40:20 Firemind's Research - 41:48 Narc...
Sep 07, 2018•1 hr 16 min
Bryan and Jonathan are back for the fourth episode of Head GAMs! This week, listeners chose the topic of discussion via Twitter poll, and people wanted to hear all about Impostor Syndrome. How does Jonathan define Impostor Syndrome? Who among us is suffering from this pervasive form of self-doubt? How does Impostor Syndrome affect our ability to perform, and what can we do to overcome this mode of thinking? Bryan and Jonathan share experiences from their own battles with Impostor Syndrome and pr...
Sep 03, 2018•43 min
It’s the week before preview season, and that means it’s perfect time for a “level up” episode, heavily inspired by the workings of Michael Majors! Gerry and Bryan talk about decks from Magic’s past that seemingly showed up out of nowhere, even though the pieces were there the whole time. They make the case for devouring information and not dismissing anything, even if it’s not quite there yet, in the hopes that their listeners can be on the forefront of technology. What do each of these decks a...
Aug 31, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Bryan and Jonathan are back for the third episode of Head GAMs! This week, the hosts are talking about practice. Not a game… practice. The discussion starts with the oft-cited “10,000 hour” rule. Does it really take 10,000 hours to become an expert at something? Jonathan then introduces his four-step system for effective practice and references his experience working with some of the top esports competitors in the world, including stories about how the best of the best practice their craft. Your...
Aug 26, 2018•46 min
Despite having to drop out of Grand Prix Los Angeles due to a migraine, Gerry learned two key secrets to winning in Standard. While it might be too late for him to utilize that knowledge, it’s perfect timing for those trying to win an RPTQ in the coming weeks. Even Bryan is on board! For those playing Modern this weekend, Bryan shares his perfect metagame deck. Oddly enough, Gerry agrees with him! The GAM Podcast is in perfect harmony this week. Music: Starcraft Protoss Victory Theme Timestamps:...
Aug 24, 2018•57 min
Bryan and Jonathan are back for the second episode of Head GAMs! This week, the hosts are talking about coping with failure. Bryan talks through one of his greatest failures, as Jonathan clues him in on exactly what is happening in the brain when humans experience failure. How does failure relate to the five stages of grief? What are some exercises you can do during a potential failure to help avert disaster? Should failure be an essential part of your practice routines? All of this and more on ...
Aug 20, 2018•51 min
Bryan has been working hard on perfecting Turbo Fog for Grand Prix Los Angeles. Some, including Gerry, have thought Turbo Fog was dead now that people know about it, but Bryan disagrees! They talk about Standard's winners and losers heading into the weekend, but after that, it's all Turbo Fog, all the time. Gerry plays devil's advocate, grilling Bryan on each of his card choices and the viability of Turbo Fog in general. Music: Scott Pilgrim vs the World Time stamps: Announcements - 1:47 Standar...
Aug 17, 2018•1 hr 17 min
Welcome to the very first episode of Head GAMs! Jonathan Carter is an accomplished performance psychology consultant who has worked with some of the best in e-sports. Bryan Gottlieb is a guy who talks a bunch. Together, they want to make you great at everything. Head GAMs is a discussion of the mental aspects of competition. No matter how you compete, Head GAMs will do its best to help you take your mental game to the next level! In this first episode, the hosts introduce themselves and discuss ...
Aug 13, 2018•49 min
With PT25A finally in the books, it's time to look ahead to future events, like GP Orlando and GP Brussels, and how PT25A is going to shape them. While Gerry's team had a dismal performance, was it because of their deck choices? If Gerry or Bryan were playing this weekend, what would be their weapon? This week's show wraps up with some HUGE announcements that you won't want to miss. Make sure you stick around for the entire episode! Music: Persona 4 Arena Time Stamps: Limited on the Pro Tour - 2...
Aug 09, 2018•1 hr 27 min
GAM E87 - Breaking PT25A The decklists are submitted and it’s time to battle! Gerry thinks he may have broken the format for PT25A and Bryan has many questions! The decks Gerry, Josh Cho, and Matt Severa settled on might surprise you, but they needed to make bold decisions to gain an edge. Get an update on what’s happening in each format and what’s going to stand out at PT25A in this all-encompassing episode. Music: Tactics Ogre Timestamps: Team Pro Tours - 7:29 Standard - 19:49 Modern - 32:17 P...
Aug 03, 2018•1 hr 21 min
GAM E86 - Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The GAM Podcast Ever wanted to know who would replace Gerry or Bryan if they left the cast? Thanks to our wonderful Patrons from Patreon.com/thegampodcast, we now do five episodes per month. In this bonus episode, Gerry and Bryan solicited questions from The GAM Podcast Discord channel. They. Answered. Them. All. In this mammoth episode, you get to hear Gerry’s and Bryan’s takes on coverage, relationships, pizza, and everything in between. Music...
Jul 31, 2018•3 hr 7 min
For the first time ever, Gerry and Bryan take a deep dive into the Modern Magic Online decklists. They discuss each of the 46 decklists, talking about what they like and dislike, while also giving their opinion on each deck’s place in the format. From Vengevine to Death’s Shadow and Cragganwick Cremator to Erayo, this is an episode Modern players won’t want to miss! Music: Demon's Crest Timestamps: Goblins - 3:10 G/R stuff - 10:09 Infect - 15:27 KCI - 17:10 Mono-Blue Tron - 21:20 Dredgevine - 22...
Jul 27, 2018•1 hr 23 min
Goblin Chainwhirler is unplayable! Nah, just kidding, but it does seem to be just another great card in a sea of great cards. Is the reign of Goblin Chainwhirler finally over? Has Steel Leaf Champion taken the throne? How do Nicol Bolas, Sai, and the rest of Core Set 2019’s all-stars fit into the mix? Is Paradoxical Outcome the real deal? Gerry and Bryan cover all this, plus the Core Set 2019 card that’s poised to have the biggest impact in Modern! Music: We Love Katamari Timestamps: Militia Bug...
Jul 20, 2018•1 hr 2 min
Core Set 2019 is officially out on Magic Online and the brewers have been doing work! Gerry and Bryan take a deep dive into the first 17 decklists to go 5-0 on Magic Online and pick out their favorites for the upcoming weeks. Who was the big winner from Core Set 2019? Is Stitcher's Supplier as great as Gerry predicted? Is Nicol Bolas running amok? Where do you want to be going forward? The GAM Podcast answers all these questions and more. Music: Donkey Kong Country Decks we've been playing - 7:3...
Jul 12, 2018•1 hr 23 min
There’s more than one way to prepare for a tournament. Most of the time, you’ll narrow down your deck choice from among the best options, but what if you started in reverse? Gerry and Bryan break down the recent Modern events, talk about where the format is heading, and talk about things that absolutely won’t work in Modern going forward. None of your favorite decks are safe! Music: Cuphead Timestamps: GP Barcelona & SCGATL - 2:44 B&R Announcement - 12:39 Cards you shouldn't be playing i...
Jul 06, 2018•1 hr 14 min
With Core Set 2019 fully previewed, it's time to fully break down the set and talk about what looks good for Standard. Yes, there are Goblin Chainwhirler issues, but with the Standard metagame stabilizing and this set being chocked full of power, there will be cards from Core Set 2019 to make their way into Standard. Gerry and Bryan both have some surprises on their Top 10's. Can you guess which ones? Music: Legend of Zelda Four Swords Adventures Time Stamps Gerry's #10 - 5:53 Bryan's #10 - 10:4...
Jun 28, 2018•1 hr 25 min
Grand Prix Las Vegas is in the books, and Krark-Clan Ironworks emerged victorious again. Gerry played trusty Mardu Pyromancer to a respectable 12-3 finish and shares his thoughts on the archetype. There was also the Modern PTQ on Magic Online that was won by... Goblins?! Infect is also silently crushing it, so where is Modern going next? Core 2019 continues to impress with reprints and new cards alike. Is there anything in the set that can contend with Goblin Chainwhirler?
Jun 21, 2018•1 hr 10 min
Despite so many different events happening at the same time, The GAM Podcast aims to cover them all! Hear Gerry’s take on the B/U Midrange deck he played at the SCGINVI and his thoughts on Mardu Pyromancer leading up to Grand Prix Las Vegas. There’s also the RPTQ metagame and some talk about the first batch of cards previewed from the return to core sets.
Jun 15, 2018•1 hr 18 min
Thanks to our wonderful Patrons for helping us reach our stretch goal -- The GAM Podcast now happens five times a month! These episodes are meant to be timeless classics, either as "level up" episodes or those interviewing guests. With that in mind, The GAM Podcast is proud to present our first returning guest: Kevin "The Daddy" Jones! Kevin talks about his monumental run at Pro Tour Dominaria that ultimately lead to him finishing a heartbreaking 17th place. Join Gerry, Bryan, and Kevin as they ...
Jun 14, 2018•1 hr 15 min
